The Dark Principle
by Extrapolation
Summary: Set immediately after Crystal Bearers. The Yuke Crystal has been restored, and the crystal shards of the Bearers absorbed into it. All except for two. Peace has returned to the world, but will it last? Layle/OC Keiss/Belle. Very mild yaoi.
1. Chapter 1: A New Dawn

Hah! I told you I'd be writing a Crystal Bearers fic! That game was just too short...

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy.**

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~A New Dawn~

"I'm not giving up on you, Layle."

I cast a quick glance behind me and grin when I see Keiss running after me. I didn't expect him to get here this fast, but whatever. I wink at him from the stolen plane and zoom off.

**.:Somewhere Out There…:.**

A little Clavat girl clutches the rail of a cruise ship as she watches the seagulls soaring above. A strong gust of wind blows her hat off her head. She gasps and futilely reaches out in a reflexive attempt to reclaim her clothing, but the wind had already blown it too far. Just as it seemed to be lost forever a strange purplish aura surrounded it and it whizzed back to her, landing on her head gently. She turns in confusion and sees a young Clavat man behind her. He has blonde hair and wears faded black jeans and a multi-colored fur-lined jacket with the Clavat symbol on its back and a yellow shirt underneath.

"Th-thank you," she whispers. The man only waves a hand casually, brushing off her thanks, as he walks past.

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**.:After Days of Fruitless Searching:.**

"Layle… where _are _you?" mutters a reddish-brown-haired Selkie. She's dressed in rather revealing clothes. A red top with yellow decorations exposes her midriff. A large leather belt holds up extremely short shorts, which stop just short of white embroidered "pants." Closing her eyes, she leans back against a rock on top of the grassy cliff and basks in the sun. Suddenly, she hears a rustle. In an instant, she is up on her feet and ready to run, when she recognizes the figure before her.

_**Belle's POV**_

"Layle?!"

"What? You miss me?" he says, wearing that cocky, arrogant smirk. I almost forget to make a comeback.

"Of course not!" I snap in false anger. "I… You still have a debt to pay, after all."

_I knew you weren't dead. I knew it._

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Don't know about the pairings yet - but I don't think I want to do LaylexBelle.  
Reviewers will get digital cookies. 8D


	2. Chapter 2: Nothing's Changed

Heyyyy, an update! I think I've decided on the pairings; LaylexOC, BellexKeiss. Even if you don't like the pairings, I beg you, my awesome readers, to keep reading. It's not going to be anything serious. I'm not the best at romance.  
To my reviewers: Lady Akhisane: You get a cookie anyway. 8D. And I know what you mean, Belle can be sort of... obnoxious. Especially when she stole all my treasure in Subterranean Ruins... D8  
anon (): If I stick with these pairings, you get your slash. :D

**Disclaimer: If I owned Crystal Bearers, it would be longer.**

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~Nothing's Changed~

_**Layle's POV**_

_Nothing's changed._ After going through all that, and restoring the Yuke crystal… Nothing's changed. There are still monsters, still Miasma streams, everything. It makes me feel so strange. After going through so much, I come back to world and I see that it's all the same, and feel out of place. Like I don't belong anymore.

It's been a week or so since Belle found me. Belle, Keiss and I are traveling on chocobo-back to Cid's place to check out some new technology he invented. Passing through the Eastern Wildlands, I notice an open Miasma stream, and a single man – Selkie, I'm guessing – holding back the monsters with a short sword. He dodges a dog and agilely slips past its next attack to slide a knife between its ribs. He seems to be doing pretty well, but a little help never hurts. Keiss seems to agree with me as well, for he pulls out his throwing knives and starts killing dogs. I lift cacti, rocks, bones… anything in range, and throw them at the skeletons. In no time, the area is clear and I quickly close the Miasma stream. I turn to look at the Selkie, head cocked slightly. He stands with a self-confident air, but moves stealthily – not unusual. The Selkie has long bluish-silver hair with a forest green cloth tied like a headband over his forehead, the extra length of cloth trailing behind him mixed into his hair. He has eyes the same color as the cloth. The man is wearing a blue T-shirt with white flame-like decorations a cross it. His left forearm is mostly covered by a gray arm warmer. He wears black fingerless gloves with a diamond shape cut out on the back. His right wrist is adorned with a silver bracelet engraved with intricate patterns. He also wears loose turquoise shorts and black leather boots that go about halfway to his knees.

"No thank you?" I inquire.

"Well. I could have handled them," he says casually.

"Hmph. Didn't look like it," I shoot back.

"I wasn't even trying," he insists. I look at him skeptically.

"Right…"

"Well, gotta go. See ya later."

The Selkie turns away but I call after him,

"Hey! Next time I see you, I'd like to call you something other than 'hey, you.' Got a name?"

"You can call me Tanith," he tells me, and sprints over to a chocobo, jumping lithely onto its back and riding off.

"Hey, wake up, crystal bearer," Keiss yells, waving a hand in front of my face.

"That was _our_ chocobo he just took!"

I look over at the chocobos and see only two. Keiss was right. _Gotta hand it to the Selkies… those guys can steal things from right under your nose._

I lazily extend a hand, using my power to yank them back.

"Hey, what's the deal?" Tanith snarls, obviously quite annoyed by this. I smile inwardly.

"You know, Tanith, we're missing a chocobo. Know where it went?"

"Oh… you mean this chocobo? Sorry, I must have mistaken it for mine. You can have it back I guess…" the Selkie says in a very sincere manner. I'm not fooled though – Selkies are brilliant liars. Out of reflex, I check for my wallet. Realizing it's missing, I roll my eyes.

"I'll be taking this back as well," I tell him, using my powers to lift it out of his pocket and bring it to me.

"Oh, that's yours too? I found it on the ground. You must have lost it. You should thank me for finding it for you," he says somberly. I hear Belle and Keiss both chuckle at this.

"Hey, Keiss. Didn't you say something about how Selkies get in trouble when there's nobody to watch out for them?" Belle comments.

"Mhm. I also said I'll the one watching out for them, right? Now that Vaigali is… gone."

"Hey, hey! Where are you going here? And anyway, I'm not Selkie!" Tanith protests.

I raise an eyebrow at him in disbelief.

"Well, okay, I'm half Selkie, half Clavat," he mutters. I look him over. He looks more Selkie than Clavat to me.

"You have a home? Somewhere to go?" I question.

"No…"

"Then you can come with us… for a while." I'm rewarded by Tanith's expression of glee.

"Taking in strays?" Keiss murmurs. "Not like you."

"Maybe I've changed," I murmur back. Keiss snickers.

"Right… well. As long as he doesn't rob us blind, I'm okay with him coming along for a bit."

We'll bring the kid to the Selkie Guild. Keiss will watch out for him there.

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Say hello to my OC. C:

**Tanith: Hiyah readers!**

But if you shake hands, check to make sure you've still got your rings...


	3. Chapter 3: Farewell

I had some technical difficulties... sorry for the delay! I'll post two chapters today to make up for it, hopefully. :D

**Disclaimer: I wouldn't be writing fanfiction if I owned Final Fantasy.**

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~Farewell~

I wave farewell to Keiss, who's holding on tight to the kid. If he wasn't restraining him, I think quite a lot of people would be missing their wallets by now. I turn around and hop onto a conveniently placed black chocobo and fly off into the distance. I have to go to Cid's workshop – he's still waiting.

**.:Cid's Workshop:.**

"What took ye so long?" the Lilty inventor asks me.

"This and that," I say vaguely. Cid stares at me for a while, and then turns to this new machine.

"Well, I need you here to start up this new engine I got here."

"No problem," I say, bored. Using my powers, I easily start it up.

"It's workin' fine! Thanks Layle, I owe you one!"

"So, what's this do?" I ask Cid.

"Instead of steam, I've got this engine running on lightning!" the inventor tells me excitedly. I raise an eyebrow.

"Lightning?"

"Yeah! After you start it, it creates its own power!" The Lilty inventor begins to talk about how it works, why it works, how he invented it, etc. I listen for a while, but quickly grow bored.

"Cid, I gotta go. See you later."

"Right. Don't stir up too much trouble, crystal bearer!"

Hah. As if that's possible.

**.:A Few Weeks Later:.**

I got a report that there's a really dangerous bunch of monsters over in the Subterranean Ruins, so Keiss and I are checking it out - for a price, of course. Finally, some entertainment! I've been really bored the last few weeks – it's been too quiet. Keiss and I delve deep into the Subterranean Ruins. Ah, the memories…

"_Hey, this chest is… empty." "Hey, this one too!" _

_That girl…_ I wonder, _exactly how much treasure did she pillage?_ Suddenly, I see a flash of movement. Reflexively, I use my powers to catch whatever it is and lift it into the air. A Goblin Warrior. I smash it against a nearby wall and turn to find the rest of the monsters. Instead of monsters, though, I'm greeted by the sight of a glowing white Miasma stream.

_What? That was all? Or did somebody clear them out before me…?_

"You! What are you doing here?!"

I whirl around and see that kid from before. Wasn't Keiss supposed to be taking care of him? Answering my unspoken question, Keiss tells me, "He left. Frankly, I didn't want to stop him."

He's dressed somewhat differently now. Instead of shorts, he's wearing loose-fitting navy-blue jeans that are ripped up at the knees. He also has a jacket that looks suspiciously like mine, except blue and green instead of yellow and black, and the symbol on the back is different. Instead of the Clavat symbol, it's a crystal imposed over an eye. Also, he now wears a silver necklace with a deep blue gemstone hanging from the chain.

"I could ask you the same thing," I comment. The kid scratches his head uncertainly.

"You should leave. It's dangerous," he tells us.

"I think you've got it backwards," I retort. Tanith opens his mouth, about to speak when suddenly the Miasma stream grows dark and a _huge_ monster materializes from its depths, accompanied by a few much smaller ones. A King Behemoth, I realize, as it falls to the ground, creating a huge shockwave. I smirk. This is going to be fun. The monster shoots four meteors – one for Keiss, one for Tanith, and two for me. I block the two headed for me, and begin to throw everything in the area at the King Behemoth. Stones, gems, hell, even the other monsters. The Behemoth then takes a deep breath, and lets out a huge torrent of flame. It doesn't aim for me, though – instead, it releases the flames straight at Tanith. Using my power, I create a barrier in front of him. He turns, and his eyes widen as he stares at a point just behind me-

"Watch out!"

I whirl around, but it's too late – the monster's huge club is almost on me. I brace myself, and wait for the pain.

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Is it obvious that I don't like to write battle scenes? Anyway.  
Review, and thou shalt be loved by the videogame gods forever...


	4. Chapter 4: Crystal

Told ya! Another chapter. :D Tanith has more to him than it seems...

**Disclaimer: I may not own Final Fantasy, but Tanith is mine.**

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_

_The figure of what might possibly be a human walks through pitch-black darkness. It navigates the traps and barriers of the treacherous land with the ease of long practice, moving as if it can see through the inky blackness. Eventually, it reaches a corridor that is marginally brighter. Monsters lining the sides of the corridor bow low to the figure as it sweeps past them. _

_At the end of the long corridor is a single figure seated on a throne of obsidian. The first figure kneels before the seated one. _

"_You have found the crystal shards?" A voice issues from the shadow perched on the gleaming volcanic rock._

"_Yes. I have retrieved the first one."_

"_You will bring the second bearer here." It was a statement, not a question. The kneeling figure nods in assent, before getting up and walking out of the darkness._

~Crystal~

It shouldn't take this long for the club to hit me. I take a chance and open my eyes, and they widen in surprise at what I see. The club is less than an inch away from my face, frozen in place by a power that I see as a rippling green wave of light. I turn, astonished, towards Tanith. His left arm is held out towards me, power rippling around his outstretched fingers. Then, my brain takes over. I jump out of the way of the club, and the power dissipates, allowing it to crash into the ground. _That kid better explain himself when this is over. I thought I was the only crystal bearer left – the rest of the crystal shards all returned to the Yuke Crystal. _I return to pummeling the monster with debris as Tanith uses his own powers, flinging his sword up at the monster's vulnerable eyes. In no time, the Behemoth is defeated and dissolves into Miasma. I close the Miasma stream quickly, and turn to face the Selkie/Clavat kid. He looks at me.

"I'm leaving," he declares. He turns to go, but I grab him with my powers and yank him back.

"I want answers. Now." Tanith's eyes flick around, searching for a route of escape. Then, his eyes lock onto mine. His left hand begins to glow with power, and I am suddenly thrown to the side by an unnatural gust of wind. Losing my concentration, I drop the other crystal bearer. He lands deftly on his feet and sprints for the exit. Jumping to my feet, I yell, "Keiss!"

"Right," he shouts back, and moves to block the exit. My partner is able to delay the kid, but not long enough – Tanith is still out of my range when he runs out of the ruins. There is no way I can catch a Selkie who has a head start on me – even a half-Selkie.

"Damn," I mutter.

"It's fine, Layle," Keiss tells me. "I'll send out my little birds to find him."

I nod, satisfied. The Selkie Guild's informants are among the best. There is no doubt that they can find the target.

**.:At the Selkie Guild:.**

"Listen up! The target's half Clavat, half Selkie," Keiss calls to the Selkie informants, holding out a picture of Tanith. "Has bearer powers over wind. Ten thousand for info." The Selkies nod and get to work.

"Well, all we can do now is wait, I suppose," Keiss tells me, leaning against a wall. I sigh. I hate waiting for things to happen.

**.:The Next Day:.**

We received info that the target was spotted under the Chocobo Circuit. Keiss and I are saddling black chocobos to get there, ay-sap. I finish saddling mine and swing myself onto its back. Even as I kick it into motion, Keiss is leaping onto his feathered mount to follow.

"Move it," I mutter to my chocobo, urging it to go faster. I turn it towards the edge of the ship and it leaps into the air. I grin, enjoying the rush of air flowing past me and the sight of the ground dropping away. The last time I enjoyed myself like this was… When was it?

"_What a boring gig." _Oh. Right. When I first met Goldenrod. It feels like years ago…

I'm jerked back to reality as my chocobo lands at the Chocobo Circuit. I dismount and stretch, loosening muscles stiffened from clinging onto the black chocobo's back. I then walk over to the circuit and skim down one of the steel columns holding it above the ground. Keiss' chocobo lands next to me, and my Selkie partner dismounts as well.

"He was seen over there," Keiss tells me gesturing towards a lowered area of land. If I remember correctly, that's where the Miasma stream in this area usually appears. Reaching the area, we see a very strange sight – Tanith is under a glowing white Miasma stream, which is… what is it doing? A thin tentacle of dark Miasma is extended towards him. As he backs away, it stretches, following him with deadly intent. He seems to be talking to it, but I can't hear exactly what he's saying. Suddenly, the tendril speeds towards him, and Tanith jumps back, but not far enough. Seeing that a dead Tanith won't give me any answers, I decide that it's in my best interests to save him, so I quickly close the Miasma stream. A small fragment of Myrrh drops to the ground, and the tendril of Miasma dissipates. I turn towards Tanith, but all I find is undisturbed air.

**.:A Few Days Later:.**

"We've got a lead." The sweetest words I've heard for days.

"All right! Where is it?" I ask eagerly. Keiss hands me the report.

"_The target was spotted walking through the Yuke city…" _Oh, geeze. He could be anywhere! There were warp points all over the Yuke city.

"Well, we might as well visit the city and see if anybody knows where he went," I say optimistically. Keiss nods in agreement. We head for the nearest warp point to the city with a newfound sense of purpose.

**.:In the Yuke City:.**

Being here brings back some painful memories. Memories of Goldenrod… Amidatelion. I don't know why I care about her death, but I do. Shrugging off the memories, Keiss and I split up to search for the target.

I walk along a narrow path, keeping a sharp eye out for the other crystal bearer. Swinging along the yellow orbs of light, I travel from warp point to warp point, searching for the target. After searching all the areas with warp points, I jump back down to the ground level of the city. Where else would Tanith go? I wrack my brain, thinking hard. _You're the only crystal bearer left other than Layle. Said crystal bearer is after you. Where to go, to escape him? _Then, I get it. _That warp pool in the Edge of Oblivion! You can get to _anywhere_ from there. There would be no way to track you… _Even before I finish thinking the sentence, I'm off running. I have to get there before the kid escapes, or there's no way in hell I'm going to catch him.

Jumping over anybody in my way and flinging aside anybody I can't jump over, I get to the pool in record time. Just in time, in fact. I get there just as Tanith jumps. No time to call Keiss – I latch onto him with my powers and get pulled in as well.

**.:???:.**

More than a little disoriented, I pass through the warp pool into a place I've never been to before. I fall and land on what seems to be solid darkness. My vision is hampered by what appears to be dark, black and purple mist. _What is this place?_ I wonder briefly, before my thoughts are interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Stop following me," Tanith's voice snaps, echoing oddly.

"But it's always so interesting with you around," I say, grinning.

"You shouldn't have followed me here. You don't know what you're getting into."

"Then tell, me," I say. Or almost say.

Before I get a chance to reply to this, a loud roar shakes the… "ground." A hazy outline of a large monster is visible through the strange mist. Together we defeat it fairly easily, but I feel far more tired than I should. Something is draining my energy.

"Hurry up and get out of here," Tanith yells. "Before the Miasma kills you!" He uses his powers to clear a part of the dark mist, revealing a warp point. Miasma…? It takes a while for my sluggish brain to process his words, and I then remember that Miasma is extremely poisonous. _That must be what the mist around us is made of,_ I realize. I quickly pull myself through the warp point, landing in the waters of Costa Faguita.

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I told you I didn't like writing battle scenes. Maybe I should've written more... My apologies.  
A review a day keeps the monsters away!


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